# The Gallo-Roman dodecahedra > About 130 small hollow bronze dodecahedra, each face pierced by a round hole of a different size and each corner topped by a knob, are known from the… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-27T17:48:11+00:00 --- **MYS** 0D5Y5P767TPZ·Mystery · object # The Gallo-Roman dodecahedra **0** [Follow][Ask a question](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions/key-questions?mystery=roman-dodecahedra) The Gallo-Roman dodecahedra ![Exhibit in the Landesmuseum Württemberg - Stuttgart, Germany.](https://mysteriesdept.com/media/folio/roman-dodecahedra-lead) Daderot · Public domain Known About 130 examples; at least 120 complete or fragmentary⁠[[2]] Size 4–10 cm across, 30–580 g⁠[[1]] Date Late 2nd to late 4th century AD⁠[[1]] Found in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Britain, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland; none in Italy⁠[[1]] Contexts Graves of men and women, coin hoards, refuse deposits⁠[[1]] Latest complete find Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, June 2023: about 8 cm, 245 g⁠[[2]] Status Unexplained Questions 0 of 3 answered People [**Michael Guggenberger** Classical archaeologist; catalogued the dodecahedra](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/people/FIG0D5Y5QXW3PVD/michael-guggenberger)[**Paul-Marie Duval** French archaeologist of Roman Gaul](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/people/FIG0D5Y5R5P3K35/paul-marie-duval)[**Guido Creemers** Curator, Gallo-Roman Museum, Tongeren](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/people/FIG0D5Y5RDG37CP/guido-creemers) Catalog key**MYS** 0D5Y5P767TPZ A Gallo-Roman dodecahedron is a hollow bronze object with twelve pentagonal faces, each pierced by a round hole, and a small knob at each of its twenty corners. The holes on one object differ in diameter. Examples measure 4 to 10 cm and weigh 30 to 580 g; they date from the late 2nd to the late 4th century AD and come from the north-western provinces, from Britain to Hungary, but never from Italy⁠[[1]]. About 130 are known⁠[[2]]. They come from graves, coin hoards and refuse; none carries an inscription and no Roman writer describes them⁠[[1]]⁠[[3]]. Proposed uses include surveying and range-finding, calendars, gauges, knitting gloves, moulding wax, fortune-telling, proof of a smith's skill and cosmic symbols⁠[[4]]⁠[[5]]⁠[[6]]⁠[[7]]. The latest finds keep the question alive. In June 2023 the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group dug up an undamaged example in Lincolnshire, the 33rd from England⁠[[2]]. Fragments from Kortessem in Belgium and from two sites in Slovakia beyond the Roman frontier show that some were deliberately broken⁠[[6]]⁠[[8]]. In 2025 Michael Guggenberger and Stephen Leach tied the objects to Pythagorean and Platonic texts⁠[[3]]. Of the 3 questions on this site, 0 are answered. The most likely answer to “What were the Gallo-Roman dodecahedra for?”, not yet confirmed: they were religious or magical objects, used for divination or as symbols of the cosmos, perhaps mounted on…. ### Key questionsset by the editors [**What were the Gallo-Roman dodecahedra for?** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/questions/QST0D5Y5TKT7BZY/what-were-the-gallo-roman-dodecahedra-for)Most likely: they were religious or magical objects, used for divination or as symbols of the cosmos, perhaps mounted on… [All 3 questions ](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions/key-questions?mystery=roman-dodecahedra) ## The object The dodecahedra were cast in copper alloy. The Norton Disney example, about 8 cm across and 245 g, has round holes framed by knobs and shows no wear; X-ray fluorescence gave roughly 75% copper, 7% tin and 18% lead⁠[[2]]. Holes range from about 0.6 to 4 cm across over the corpus, and some carry incised concentric circles⁠[[8]]. [![Norton Disney dodecahedron](https://mysteriesdept.com/media/folio/roman-dodecahedra-a-norton-disney-c0)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y61PC7GE6/norton-disney-dodecahedron) Norton Disney dodecahedronRichard Croft, 2023. CC BY-SA 2.0[Artifact ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y61PC7GE6/norton-disney-dodecahedron) Paul-Marie Duval proposed in 1981 a standard description of each example (face and hole measurements, knobs, decoration) so that they could be compared; such a scheme is the basis for any quantitative study⁠[[9]]. Christopher Hill reported on progress towards a corpus in 1994⁠[[10]]. The fullest catalogue known is Guggenberger's 1999 Innsbruck thesis, which is not published online⁠[[7]]⁠[[11]]. **Map of the region** [Open the full map](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/map) [Region][Country] [+][−] 1 **Tongeren** Roman town (Atuatuca Tungrorum) Within 1 km 2 **Kortessem, Limburg** Findspot (ploughed field) Within 10 km 3 **North-western provinces of the Roman Empire** Region A region 4 **Krefeld-Gellep** Roman fort and cemetery Within 10 km Within 1 kmA regionNatural Earth ### Timeline **Timeline** Squeezed where little happened. Each mark is a published claim, by how it stands:AcceptedMost likelyStill possibleDisputedRuled out ## What is known The distribution is regional: Gaul, Britain, the Rhineland and the Danube provinces, but not the Mediterranean heartland, which suggests a practice of the north-western provinces rather than an imperial standard⁠[[1]]⁠[[6]]. Find contexts are mixed. The Gellep dodecahedron came from a woman's grave in 1966, next to a bone rod that may have been a handle, which suggests it could have been mounted on a staff⁠[[1]]. A complete example found outside the walls of Tongeren in 1939 is in the Gallo-Roman Museum there; a corner fragment from Kortessem joined it in 2023⁠[[6]]⁠[[12]]. The Slovak fragments, from Hurbanovo and Chotín, appear to have been cut up for scrap bronze, perhaps after reaching Germanic communities through raids⁠[[8]]. [![Tongeren dodecahedron](https://mysteriesdept.com/media/folio/roman-dodecahedra-a-tongeren-m1)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y61Y655PQ/tongeren-dodecahedron) Tongeren dodecahedronWim Deprez, 1939. CC BY-SA 2.5[Artifact ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y61Y655PQ/tongeren-dodecahedron) The objects are not standardised. Size, weight, hole sizes and decoration vary from one to the next, which argues against a precise measuring standard⁠[[1]]⁠[[2]]. ## What has been tested Very little has been tested on the objects themselves. Sparavigna worked out the geometry of a coincidence rangefinder from published dimensions and argued the objects would work as one⁠[[4]]. Lamb made a 3D-printed replica and showed it can form wax tokens around a cord, with the knobs acting as stops, but did not use measurements of real examples⁠[[5]]. A snake-trap reconstruction and a craft-token argument appeared as preprints in 2026⁠[[13]]⁠[[14]]. Composition has been measured on single examples such as Norton Disney⁠[[2]]. No study has yet compared alloys or lead isotopes across the corpus to identify workshops, and no published statistical test compares the sets of hole diameters on different objects. ## The readings Measuring instruments. Readings as rangefinders, surveying aids or calendars for timing the sowing of winter grain by the sun's angle predict standard dimensions and consistent ratios between hole sizes⁠[[4]]⁠[[12]]. The variation in size, weight and hole sizes between examples counts against them⁠[[1]]. Tools. Knitting gloves on the knobs or forming wax predict wear on the knobs or hole rims and fit with workshop or domestic contexts⁠[[1]]⁠[[5]]. The Norton Disney example shows no wear⁠[[2]]. Religious or magical objects. Guido Creemers of the Tongeren museum suggests unofficial practices such as fortune-telling, which would explain the silence of texts⁠[[6]]. Guggenberger reads them as a symbol of the universe, the dodecahedron being Plato's figure for the cosmos, and with Leach links them to the Druids' reputed Pythagoreanism⁠[[7]]⁠[[3]]. These readings predict ritual contexts and deliberate deposition, which some finds show. Craft masterpieces. The objects may have shown a bronze-caster's skill, which would explain their complexity and lack of a standard⁠[[2]]⁠[[14]]. ### Published claims **Published claims and their status** | Year | Who | Claimed | Status | Reason | |---|---|---|---|---| | 2012 | Amelia Carolina Sparavigna⁠[4] | The dodecahedron was a dioptron, a coincidence rangefinder, whose paired holes of different sizes let a user judge distance. | Disputed | The objects vary several-fold in size, weight and hole size, which no standard measuring instrument would allow⁠[1] | | 2013 | Michael Guggenberger⁠[7] | The dodecahedron served as a symbol of the universe rather than as a practical tool. | Most likely | No practical use fits the whole corpus, but no inscription or text ties the objects to a cult⁠[1] | | 2025 | Petra Dragonidesová⁠[8] | Fragments from Hurbanovo and Chotín, beyond the Roman frontier in Slovakia, come from dodecahedra broken up as scrap bronze. | Most likely | The breaks and the surface-survey context fit scrap, though the fragments are few⁠[8] | | 2025 | Michael Guggenberger and Stephen Leach⁠[3] | The dodecahedra embodied the Pythagorean figure of the cosmos, which Iamblichus describes and which Druids in Gaul and Britain may have taken up. | Most likely | It fits the texts and the north-western spread of finds, but no object carries an inscription that would confirm it⁠[1]⁠[6] | | 2026 | Greg Lamb⁠[5] | Dodecahedra were tools for forming standard wax tokens, with the knobs acting as depth stops and the holes letting the wax out. | Still possible | One 3D-printed replica works, but no real dodecahedron has been tested for wax residue, and the Norton Disney example shows no wear⁠[5]⁠[2] | | 2026 | Marshall⁠[14] | Dodecahedra were masterpieces and portable tokens proving a metalworker's skill. | Still possible | The castings are complex and no two are alike, but the idea is in an unrefereed preprint and has not been tested⁠[14]⁠[2] | | 2026 | Vashakidze⁠[13] | Dodecahedra were parts of passive traps for catching snakes, which is why they are found in wet regions. | Still possible | A reconstruction works mechanically, but the case is an unrefereed preprint and the habitat correlation is untested⁠[13] | ## What would settle it A structured, open catalogue of every known example, following Duval's scheme, with hole diameters per face, knob form, mass, alloy, findspot coordinates and context⁠[[9]]. With it, three tests become possible: whether hole sets share ratios across objects, as any measuring use requires; whether alloys and lead isotopes cluster into workshops; and whether findspots associate with military, funerary or religious sites more than chance. Use-wear microscopy of knobs and rims on well-preserved examples such as Norton Disney would separate tools from display objects⁠[[2]]. ## Questions 0 of 3 questions are answered. **Key questions** [All 3](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions/key-questions?mystery=roman-dodecahedra) **0** [What were the Gallo-Roman dodecahedra for?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/questions/QST0D5Y5TKT7BZY/what-were-the-gallo-roman-dodecahedra-for) 0 of 2 sub-questions answered·0 Most likely: they were religious or magical objects, used for divination or as symbols of the cosmos, perhaps mounted on… ## Evidence 11 findings [What were the Gallo-Roman dodecahedra for?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/questions/QST0D5Y5TKT7BZY/what-were-the-gallo-roman-dodecahedra-for)10 findings [They were measuring instruments, such as rangefinders, surveying aids or devices for fixing the sowing date…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/answers/ANS0D5Y5VB85TN2/they-were-measuring-instruments-such-as-rangefinders)Disputed +[The geometry of opposed holes of different size can work as a coincidence rangefinder.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5VK218RM/the-geometry-of-opposed-holes-of-different-size-can-work-as)Speculative −[Size (4–10 cm), weight (30–580 g) and hole sizes vary widely between examples.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5VTW7JTP/size-410-cm-weight-30580-g-and-hole-sizes-vary-widely)Supported [They were craft tools, such as knitting frames for gloves or moulds for forming wax tokens.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/answers/ANS0D5Y5W2P2Y46/they-were-craft-tools-such-as-knitting-frames-for-gloves-or)Still possible +[A 3D-printed replica forms repeatable wax tokens, with knobs as depth stops.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5WAG4DZV/a-3d-printed-replica-forms-repeatable-wax-tokens-with-knobs)Speculative −[The Norton Disney example shows no evidence of wear.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5WJA11VS/the-norton-disney-example-shows-no-evidence-of-wear)Suggestive [They were religious or magical objects, used for divination or as symbols of the cosmos, perhaps mounted on…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/answers/ANS0D5Y5WT47TD2/they-were-religious-or-magical-objects-used-for-divination)Most likely +[Texts on the dodecahedron as the figure of the cosmos, including Iamblichus, and Roman reports of Druidic interest in Pythagoras.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5X1Y3D6R/texts-on-the-dodecahedron-as-the-figure-of-the-cosmos)Suggestive +[The Gellep example lay in a woman's grave beside a bone rod, perhaps a staff.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5X9R1SZ5/the-gellep-example-lay-in-a-womans-grave-beside-a-bone-rod)Suggestive +[The concentration in the north-western provinces and absence from Italy fit a regional, unofficial practice.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5XHJ4HMC/the-concentration-in-the-north-western-provinces-and-absence)Suggestive −[No inscription or text links the objects to any cult.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5XSC7ZBB/no-inscription-or-text-links-the-objects-to-any-cult)Established [They were showpieces or tokens proving a bronze-caster's skill.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/answers/ANS0D5Y5Y165X7T/they-were-showpieces-or-tokens-proving-a-bronze-casters)Still possible +[The objects are complex castings with no two alike.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5Y903RZN/the-objects-are-complex-castings-with-no-two-alike)Suggestive [They were parts of traps for catching snakes.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/answers/ANS0D5Y5YGT0VFM/they-were-parts-of-traps-for-catching-snakes)Still possible +[A reconstruction works mechanically and findspots correlate with water-rich regions.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5YRM4BNJ/a-reconstruction-works-mechanically-and-findspots-correlate)Speculative [Do the hole-diameter sets follow a common system?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/questions/QST0D5Y5TVM4YJ0/do-the-hole-diameter-sets-follow-a-common-system)1 finding [Hole sizes vary freely between objects.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/answers/ANS0D5Y5ZG27WBT/hole-sizes-vary-freely-between-objects)Still possible +[Overall size and weight vary several-fold across the corpus.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/evidence/EVD0D5Y5ZQW170X/overall-size-and-weight-vary-several-fold-across-the-corpus)Suggestive ## Artifacts The films, photos, papers and objects this mystery rests on, each with its own key and its distance from the original. **Artifacts** [See all 11](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts) Photo1 step from object [Norton Disney dodecahedron](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y61PC7GE6/norton-disney-dodecahedron) Richard Croft · CC BY-SA 2.0 Photo1 step from object [Tongeren dodecahedron](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y61Y655PQ/tongeren-dodecahedron) Wim Deprez · CC BY-SA 2.5 Photo1 step from object [Kortessem dodecahedron corner fragment](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y626047B0/kortessem-dodecahedron-corner-fragment) VRT NWS · publisher Document1 step from object [Gellep dodecahedron from a woman's grave](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y62DT33E3/gellep-dodecahedron-from-a-womans-grave) Not stated in the sources Drawing1 step from object [Fragments from Hurbanovo and Chotín](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts/ART0D5Y62NM4752/fragments-from-hurbanovo-and-chotin) P. Dragonidesová · not stated [See all 11 artifacts](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/roman-dodecahedra/artifacts) ## See also [ **Antikythera Mechanism** A geared astronomical calculator raised from a wreck off Antikythera in 1901. ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/antikythera-mechanism) [ **Homo floresiensis, the origin of the Flores "hobbits"** A metre-tall hominin that lived on Flores, Indonesia, until about 50,000 years ago. ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/homo-floresiensis) [ **Stradivari "secret"** The violins of Antonio Stradivari of Cremona and the search for a secret in them. ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/stradivari-secret) [ **Phaistos Disc** A clay disc stamped with 241 signs in spirals, found at Phaistos, Crete, in 1908. ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/phaistos-disc) ## References 1. 1.[Killgrove, K. 2025. Roman dodecahedron: A mysterious 12-sided object that has baffled archaeologists for centuries. Live Science.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5KS24XXW/roman-dodecahedron-a-mysterious-12-sided-object-that-has)cited 10 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5KS24XXW 1. 2.[Tipper, S. 2024. Beautifully crafted Roman dodecahedron discovered in Lincoln – but what were they for?. The Conversation.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5KH8522R/beautifully-crafted-roman-dodecahedron-discovered-in-lincoln)[doi](https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.3gxryddu3)cited 10 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5KH8522R 1. 3.[Guggenberger, M., Leach, S. 2025. The Gallo-Roman Dodecahedron and the Receptacle of All Becoming. The Antiquaries Journal 105, 31–54.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5JA63M6Y/the-gallo-roman-dodecahedron-and-the-receptacle-of-all)[doi](https://doi.org/10.1017/S000358152510036X)cited 4 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5JA63M6Y 1. 4.[Sparavigna, A. 2012. Roman Dodecahedron as dioptron: analysis of freely available data. arXiv 1206.0946.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5MRA6QF4/roman-dodecahedron-as-dioptron-analysis-of-freely-available)cited 5 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5MRA6QF4 1. 5.[Lamb, G. 2026. A Functional Reassessment of Roman Dodecahedra as Tools for Forming Standardised Wax Objects. EXARC Journal 2026/2.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5N041W0C/a-functional-reassessment-of-roman-dodecahedra-as-tools-for)cited 4 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5N041W0C 1. 6.[Metcalfe, T. 2023. [Report on a Roman dodecahedron fragment from Kortessem, Belgium]. Live Science.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5M0W1FXP/report-on-a-roman-dodecahedron-fragment-from-kortessem)cited 6 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5M0W1FXP 1. 7.[Guggenberger, M. 2013. The Gallo-Roman Dodecahedron. The Mathematical Intelligencer 35(4), 56–60.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5JJ01QQT/the-gallo-roman-dodecahedron)[doi](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00283-013-9403-7)cited 2 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5JJ01QQT 1. 8.[Dragonidesová, P. 2025. Mysterium Insolutum. Fragments of Roman Dodecahedrons from Hurbanovo and Chotín. Študijné zvesti Archeologického ústavu SAV, Supplementum 3, 29–36.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5MGG2DC1/mysterium-insolutum-fragments-of-roman-dodecahedrons-from)[doi](https://doi.org/10.31577/szausav.2025.suppl.3.2)cited 3 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5MGG2DC1 1. 9.[Duval, P. 1981. Comment décrire les dodécaèdres gallo-romains, en vue d'une étude comparée. Gallia 39(2), 195–200.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5K9E5V0A/comment-decrire-les-dodecaedres-gallo-romains-en-vue-dune)[doi](https://doi.org/10.3406/galia.1981.1829)cited 4 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5K9E5V0A 1. 10.[Hill, C. 1994. Gallo-Roman Dodecahedra: A Progress Report. The Antiquaries Journal 74, 289–292.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5K1M1R7K/gallo-roman-dodecahedra-a-progress-report)[doi](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500024458)cited 1 time here**SRC** 0D5Y5K1M1R7K 1. 11.[Guggenberger, M. 1999. [Thesis on the Gallo-Roman dodecahedra]. University of Innsbruck.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5JST58ZT/thesis-on-the-gallo-roman-dodecahedra)cited 2 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5JST58ZT 1. 12.[VRT NWS 2023. Second mysterious dodecahedron found in Flanders. VRT NWS.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5M8P5A4T/second-mysterious-dodecahedron-found-in-flanders)cited 3 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5M8P5A4T 1. 13.[Vashakidze 2026. Reinterpreting the Gallo-Roman Dodecahedron: Experimental Reconstruction and Environmental Evidence for its use as a Snake Trap. SSRN.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5NFR2Q8B/reinterpreting-the-gallo-roman-dodecahedron-experimental)[doi](https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6873682)cited 3 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5NFR2Q8B 1. 14.[Marshall 2026. Roman Dodecahedra as Craft Skill Tokens: A Functional Hypothesis. SSRN.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D5Y5N7Y3ZKW/roman-dodecahedra-as-craft-skill-tokens-a-functional)[doi](https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6270878)cited 3 times here**SRC** 0D5Y5N7Y3ZKW Last edited 27 Oct 2026